Mercedes-Benz will soon match rivals by offering seating for seven on its popular M-Class luxury four-wheel-drive.

Seven-up for new Mercedes-Benz ML 4WD

Mercedes-Benz will add another two seats to its M-Class four-wheel-drive within two years to more directly compete with rival luxury off-roaders from BMW and Audi.

A seven-seat version of the new generation ML – which goes on sale here early in 2011 – is set to deliver increased versatility for a vehicle often used as family transport.

Speaking at the international launch of the new M-Class SUV, chief engineer Thomas Merker confirmed there would soon be the option of two additional seats in what will initially be a five-seat luxury wagon.

“We are working on a seven-seat [version of the ML] in a couple of years,” says Merker, who added that the larger, more expensive GL wagon would still be the “real” seven-seater in the Mercedes-Benz family but that extra seats in the ML would fill a niche demand.

He said while there hadn’t been many calls for seven seats in the new ML, there was enough demand to justify the additional engineering required and ensure the base car is capable of being fitted with seven seats and still meeting safety regulations.

Until now Mercedes-Benz hasn’t confirmed the seven-seat ML – which will be offered with a range of engines, including a four-cylinder diesel, four-cylinder diesel hybrid, V6 petrol and diesel, and V8 – but Merker suggests it will arrive about 2013 or 2014.

The option of seven seats will position the ML as a more direct competitor to the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, each of which is available with seven seats.

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Other luxury SUVs, such as the Lexus RX, Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, make do with five seats, potentially limiting their appeal to multi-children families who want extra space for carrying friends.

Luxury SUVs are typically replacing sedans and other wagons as the family vehicle of choice, delivering style, space and features in what are increasingly city-focused cars that have few aspirations of venturing beyond the blacktop.

However, as with some rivals, the Mercedes-Benz ML will be offered with an off-road pack that brings better protection and increased ability.

In the case of the ML there is a low-range transfer case that brings a set of low range gears for slow speed off-roading.